Method for masking interruptions on playback of received radio signals

ABSTRACT

A method of masking interruptions in the playback of received radio signals is described, wherein lengthy interruptions are allowed only when  
     modulation of the radio broadcast program currently being received is recognized as speech, and  
     a modulation pause in the received radio signal is detected.  
     This method permits complete masking of lengthy interruptions in playback or making them inaudible, where these interruptions are necessary, e.g., for analysis/testing for a transmission frequency of transmitted RDS information to be used as an alternative to a transmission frequency currently being received.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of masking interruptions in playback of received radio signals or making them inaudible according to the preamble of the independent patent claim.

[0002] Modern radio receivers, especially radio receivers intended for mobile use, such as car radios, permit automatic switching to an alternative transmission frequency which is being received better and on which the same program is being transmitted, such a switchover being made in the event of deteriorating reception of a radio transmission frequency currently being received, e.g., due to increasing distance of the receiver's current location from the radio transmitter, if such an alternative transmission frequency is receivable at all at the receiver's location.

[0003] To do so, these radio receivers have a decoder for analysis of information transmitted, for example, by the Radio Data System (RDS) in addition to the actual audio broadcasting program over a received radio transmission frequency. This information includes, for example, lists of alternative frequencies (AF) over which the same program is transmitted as well as the transmission frequency currently being received, and program identification codes (PI) which permit unambiguous identification of a program transmitted on a received transmission frequency. A detailed description of the Radio Data system is given in “Specifications of the Radio Data System for VHF/FM Broadcasting,” European Broadcasting Union, Brussels, March 1984.

[0004] Before the radio receiver is able to switch from a radio transmission frequency currently being received to an alternative transmission frequency, e.g., on the basis of the AF information, first the reception quality of the alternative transmission frequency must be tested. To do so, the radio receiver is tuned from the current radio transmission frequency to the alternative transmission frequency and its reception quality is determined, e.g., on the basis of the reception field strength or, e.g., the error rate of the radio data signal or other criteria. If the reception quality of the alternative transmission frequency is found to be better than that of the transmission frequency originally set, the alternative transmission frequency may be retained as the now current transmission frequency; otherwise it is switched back to the transmission frequency set originally and/or additional alternative transmission frequencies are checked.

[0005] At the time of switching from the current transmission frequency to an alternative transmission frequency, its reception quality is not known, i.e., the possibility cannot be ruled out that the alternative frequency has severe interference and the program is receivable only with a high noise level, so it has proven expedient to interrupt playback of the audio broadcast program transmitted over the set transmission frequency for the duration of the check of the reception quality of the alternative transmission frequency. For simple tests, e.g., of only the reception field strength of the alternative frequency, the alternative frequency need be set only very briefly, i.e., in the range of a few milliseconds, so an interruption of playback of the audio broadcast program is thus hardly perceptible by the listener. For more complex tests, however, e.g., of the error rate of the radio data signal or the PI code of the alternative frequency, prolonged switching to the alternative frequency with correspondingly long playback interruptions in the range of at least a few tens of milliseconds up to a few hundreds of milliseconds are necessary, these interruptions resulting from the time required for synchronization of the receiver to the RDS data stream and for analysis of same, being audible and perceived as annoying if suitable masking measures are not taken.

[0006] Against this background, various approaches have been researched in the past and to some extent also implemented, permitting switching to alternative reception frequencies without these interruptions, which are audible for the listener and are thus annoying in playback of a radio broadcast program currently being received, being noticed.

[0007] European Patent 0 497 115 B1 describes a radio receiver which has a memory device for audio signals into which an audio broadcast program signal being played back currently is input continuously. In the case of an interruption in playback of the audio broadcast program due to temporarily switching to an alternative radio broadcast signal for testing purposes, this interruption is masked by input of stored signal sections obtained from the audio broadcast program played back directly prior to the playback interruption.

[0008] European Patent Application 0 459 360 A2 discloses an RDS radio receiver having two receiving parts, a first receiving part constantly remaining tuned to a current radio broadcast frequency and the audio broadcast program transmitted on this radio broadcast frequency being played back. The second receiving part is tuned successively to alternative transmission frequencies for determining their reception quality, and the alternative transmission frequencies are stored in a list where they are sorted according to their reception quality. By constant updating of this list, the alternative frequency having the best reception is available for inaudible switching in the event a change in reception frequency becomes necessary because of a deteriorating reception of the current reception frequency. German Patent 197 01 042 describes a method of analyzing RDS signals of an alternative transmission frequency to a radio transmission frequency currently being received, in which the radio receiver is switched by a high-speed phase locked loop from the current frequency to the alternative frequency within the duration of a single bit of the RDS signal, a data sample is taken from the RDS data stream of the alternative frequency, and finally, the radio receiver is switched back to the current transmission frequency. By repeated temporary switching and bit sampling, a section of the RDS signal of the alternative transmission frequency which is sufficient for analysis is input. The brevity of switching to the alternative transmission frequency and of the playback interruption associated with it result in these interruptions being largely inaudible. Since the samples taken are only fractions of the duration of an RDS data bit, they are sensitive to interference due to disturbances in reception. Therefore, it is also proposed that a plurality of sections be input and a largely interference-free section of the RDS signal of the alternative transmission frequency be obtained by averaging.

[0009] German Patent 197 39 396 proposes a modification of this procedure to the extent that in the case of any temporary switching to the alternative transmission frequency, a plurality of directly successive bits of the RDS signal is input. This results in increased reliability of the input RDS data at the expense of longer playback interruptions as well as longer periods of time for input of a section of the RDS signal sufficient for analysis, because the lengthier switchings need not be performed in direct succession in order not to be perceived as interfering.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The method according to the present invention for masking interruptions in playback of received radio signals is characterized in that

[0011] lengthy interruptions are allowed only when

[0012] modulation of the currently received radio program is recognized as speech, and

[0013] a modulation pause is detected in the received radio signal; this method has the advantage that interruptions in playback of a received radio program for time-consuming checking of alternative transmission frequencies or other measures are performed only during lengthy pauses in the radio broadcast program, and thus they are completely inaudible without any great complexity in terms of circuitry. At the same time, information transmitted on alternative transmission frequencies is rapidly and reliably determinable.

[0014] An advantageous embodiment of the present invention involves analyzing an identifier characterizing speech contributions for recognition of speech. This permits simple determinations of speech contributions without requiring otherwise complicated analyses, such as frequency analysis or pause duration recognition. With respect to pause duration recognition in particular, it is possible to utilize pauses immediately for playback interruptions, so no pauses need be sacrificed for pause duration recognition in advance.

[0015] Another advantageous embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the identifier is the music/speech identifier (M/S) transmitted via the Radio Data System (RDS). This is advantageously managed dynamically by the radio transmitters broadcasting the programs so that even speech contributions within music contributions as well as music contributions within speech broadcasts are identified as such.

[0016] A modulation pause is advantageously detected on the basis of the drop in modulation level below a specified threshold value. The threshold value may advantageously be specified fixedly so that it is below a minimum AF level which is conventional for speech signals but at the same time is above a noise level, so that neither quiet speech passages are misinterpreted as the modulation pause nor noise due to sub-optimum reception conditions is misinterpreted as useful modulation. The threshold value may also be advantageously shifted dynamically in the direction of higher or lower values, in particular due to quiet useful modulation passages or due to high noise levels or signals indicating poor reception. This permits better adaptation of modulation pause recognition to variable reception conditions.

[0017] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, an interruption in playback of a received radio signal is canceled when the end of a modulation pause is recognized. This procedure is more susceptible to interference than a fixedly specified interruption duration, but it also permits complete utilization of modulation pauses having an above-average length for playback interruptions.

[0018] The end of a modulation pause is advantageously ascertained on the basis of the increase in the modulation level above a specified threshold value.

[0019] According to another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the interruption and playback is ended after the end of the activities performed during the interruption. This has the advantage that unnecessarily long playback interruptions are avoided. This embodiment may also be advantageously combined with a termination in the playback interruption due to expiration of the set time of a timer or due to recognition of the end of a modulation pause, so that the termination is either initiated with the end of the activities to be performed during the playback interruption or on expiration of the set time of the timer or detection of the end of the modulation pause, whichever event occurs earlier.

DRAWINGS

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawing and explained in greater detail below.

[0021]FIG. 1 shows a detail of an RDS signal within an RDS group;

[0022]FIG. 2 shows an RDS radio receiver having the parts according to the present invention for implementation of the method according to the present invention;

[0023]FIGS. 2a through 2 c show detailed block diagrams of modules of the radio receiver illustrated in FIG. 2; and

[0024]FIG. 3 shows an example of a sequence to illustrate the method according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0025] According to the RDS specification mentioned above, in addition to the actual program signal, additional information in digital form is transmitted on a radio transmission frequency. This additional information is combined into groups, depending on the different types of information content to be transmitted. The groups are either broadcast repeatedly or as a continuous data stream having a variable information content at a data rate of 1187.5 bits per second.

[0026]FIG. 1 illustrates schematically the structure of a group of the RDS signal on the example of a “0A” type group. A group 50 regularly includes four blocks 52, 54, 56, 58, each having 26 bits, the first sixteen bits of each block forming information word 521, 541, 561, 581 containing the actual information, and the last ten bits forming a combined test and offset word 522, 542, 562, 582, the test word being used for error recognition and correction, and the offset word being used for block synchronization of the receiver. All types of groups have in common the structure of first block 52, whose information word 521 is formed by program identification code (PI) 523, a unique identifier of a certain radio broadcast program. Block 2 of group “0A” contains a five-bit identifier 543 of the group type plus a one-bit traffic program identifier (TP=traffic program) 544, whose value indicates whether the current radio broadcast program is a program which usually broadcasts traffic messages, a five-bit identifier 545 which characterizes the type of program (PTY=program type), a one-bit announcement identifier (TA=traffic announcement) 546 characterizing current traffic information, a one-bit music/speech identifier (M/S) 547 indicating whether music or speech is being broadcast as well as additional contents 548 not of specific interest here. Block 3 of group “0A” includes data 463, 464 of the above-mentioned AF lists of 2×8 bits; information word 581 of block 4 is finally formed by program name (PS=program service name) 483, which is provided for display on a display screen of the radio receiver.

[0027] As already mentioned in the description introduction, it is possible to differentiate between essentially two types of interruptions in playback of a received radio broadcast program which differ essentially in their duration. A first type of interruption, which is used for checking the reception field strength of an alternative transmission frequency, for example, is characterized by a comparatively short interruption duration in the range of a few milliseconds, which results from switching the receiver from the current frequency to the alternative frequency, the actual testing of the reception field strength of the alternative reception frequency and subsequently switching back from the alternative reception frequency to the current reception frequency. This first form of playback interruption is hardly perceptible due to its brevity in particular when it occurs in intervals that are large compared to their duration and therefore they are not usually perceived as disturbing.

[0028] A second type of interruption is characterized essentially by a considerably longer interruption duration in the range of a few tens of milliseconds to a few hundreds of milliseconds and is the result, for example, of the need for analysis of the RDS data stream of an alternative transmission frequency. For example, the duration of a single group of RDS signal, which is to be received repeatedly for reliable analysis of the PI code, for example, in order to reliably identify the program broadcast over the alternative transmission frequency, amounts to approximately 87.6 milliseconds at the data rate indicated above. This second type of playback interruption is definitely perceptible due to its length, in the absence of suitable masking measures, and therefore it is perceived as disturbing.

[0029] The present invention is based on the idea of implementing interruptions in playback of a received radio broadcast program, e.g., for analysis of information of the radio data signal of a transmission frequency which is an alternative to the radio transmission frequency currently being received, but doing so only when the radio broadcast program to be played back has a pause at that point, so that the interruption is inaudible and is not perceived as disturbing.

[0030] One problem is that although the beginning of a modulation pause is discernable in principle, the length of the modulation pause is not determinable in advance. In the case of music signals, another problem is differentiating modulation pauses from very quiet passages.

[0031] Investigations on actual radio broadcast program signals have shown that modulation pauses in speech contributions are discernable reliably as modulation pauses because first, very low levels as in the case of very quiet music passages, which could be misinterpreted as modulation pauses, virtually do not occur with speech signals, and second, modulation pauses in speech signals last a relatively long period of time in comparison with pauses in music signals, usually with a duration in the range of approximately 300 to 600 milliseconds. Therefore, there has been an attempt, which is pursued with the present invention, to combine modulation pause recognition with speech recognition to form a speech pause recognition, utilizing speech pauses for longer interruptions in playback. For recognition of speech contributions, for example, the M/S bit which is transmitted as part of the radio data signal may be analyzed; in the case of a speech contribution, the M/S bit assumes a first value, e.g., logic “0”; in the case of a music contribution it assumes the second value, e.g., logic “1.”

[0032]FIG. 2 shows the portion of an arrangement that is essential to the present invention for implementing the method according to the present invention on the example of an RDS radio receiver.

[0033] Frequency-modulated signals 30 of one or more radio transmitters and thus radio transmission frequencies are received by a receiving antenna 2 of the radio receiver. These signals are sent to receiving part 4 which is connected to receiving antenna 2 and has the means required for selection of one of the plurality of receivable radio transmission frequencies and demodulation thereof in a known manner. A detailed description of receiving part 4 is given below on the basis of FIG. 2a.

[0034] The receiving part includes an oscillator which sends an oscillation signal to a mixer 41, to which antenna signal 30 is also sent, via a phase locked loop (PLL) 42, PLL circuit 42 containing a controllable divider, and the operation of tuning to a certain radio transmission frequency being performed by controlling the divider ratio of the divider. The divider ratio of the divider is controlled via a reception frequency control signal 43 of a control unit to be described below. The antenna signal is transformed through a suitable adjustment of the divider ratio and thus the mixing frequency to an IF level, namely in the present case 10.7 MHZ. This IF signal 47 is sent via an IF amplifier 44 to a frequency demodulator 45 for demodulation of the frequency-modulated IF radio reception signal. At the output of FM demodulator 45, which forms the output of receiving part 4, stereo multiplex signal 32 may be picked up as the modulation content of received radio signal 30. IF amplifier 44 has another output at which a field strength signal 46 indicating the reception field strength of the received radio signal may be picked up.

[0035] Stereo multiplex signal 32 which appears at the output of receiving part 4 also contains, in addition to the actual radio broadcast program signal to be played back, the RDS information which is modulated onto the 57 kHz auxiliary carrier. MPX signal 32 is sent to a low-pass filter 10 at whose output AF audio signals 34 to be played back are available. These signals are sent via a controllable switch 22 to a playback device 24, which has the means required for playback of the audio signals supplied to it, for interruption of playback of a received radio broadcast program in a known way. The playback device is described in detail below on the basis of FIG. 2c.

[0036] AF signal 34 to be played back is sent to a stereo decoder 241 which links the composite signal contained in the stereo multiplex signal for the right and left audio channels to the stereo differential signal modulated onto a stereo auxiliary carrier of the frequency 38 kHz to form the audio signals for the right and left channels. The audio signals for the left and right stereo channels 247 and 248 which are available at the output of stereo decoder 241 are sent via a sound actuator 242 for influencing the sound, e.g., in the form of an equalizer for frequency-selective amplification/damping of signals and via an AF amplifier 243 to loudspeakers 244, 245 for playback.

[0037] MPX signal 32 is also sent to a 57 kHz bandpass filter for isolation of the RDS signal from the MPX signal. The 57 kHz auxiliary carrier modulated with the RDS signal is sent to an RDS decoder 8 to obtain the RDS signal by demodulation of the 57 kHz auxiliary carrier, for synchronization with the RDS data stream and for obtaining certain information from the RDS data stream. After analysis of the RDS data stream contained in the MPX signal, M/S bit 36 transmitted over the currently received radio transmission frequency as part of the RDS signal is available at a first output 81 of the RDS decoder indicating the transmission of a speech contribution (M/S=0) or a music contribution (M/S=1) depending on its current value. At second output 82 of the RDS decoder, a signal 38 is available indicating the data error rate of the RDS signal transmitted on the radio frequency that is being received.

[0038] AF signal 34 available at the output of low-pass filter 10 is also sent to a modulation pause recognition unit 11 which has the means required to recognize modulation pauses. Modulation pause detection unit is described below on the basis of FIG. 2b.

[0039] Modulation pause detection unit is composed essentially of an AF level detector 12 and a threshold value comparator 16. In the present embodiment, the AF level detector is implemented in the form of an AF envelope curve detector and includes an operational amplifier 121 to whose inverting input the AF signal is sent. The output of operational amplifier 121 is connected to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier across a diode 122 polarized in the blocking direction. The output signal of level detector 12 indicating the AF level is sent to a threshold value comparator 16 where the signal representing the AF level is compared with a specified threshold value. If the AF signal level drops below the specified threshold value, this is interpreted as a sign of a modulation pause, and threshold value comparator 16 generates a signal 60 indicating a modulation pause.

[0040] Threshold value 64 specified for threshold value comparator 16 may be fixedly preselected and is preferably a value which is below the minimum AF level usually occurring with speech signals but is definitely above “0” so as to avoid, at least to a great extent, misinterpretation of quiet speech passages as a modulation pause as well as misinterpretation of noise in the AF signal as a speech signal.

[0041] According to an advantageous embodiment, the threshold value is calculated by a threshold value calculation unit 18. In a first embodiment, the threshold value is determined from AF signal 34 obtained from the received radio signal. To do so, AF signal 34 is sent to a first input of threshold value calculation unit 18, and a control signal 62, which controls switch 22 and is described in greater detail below, is also sent to a second input of threshold value calculation unit 18. The threshold value calculation is performed so that when a control signal 62 indicating a speech pause is applied, the AF level, which is greatly influenced by noise due to suboptimal reception conditions during modulation pauses, is determined. The AF level is also determined when a signal indicating modulation is applied. The method of determining the level as described above may be performed by analogy with level detection 12, for example. Minimum levels of a modulation section and maximum levels of a modulation pause are stored in a memory in threshold value calculation unit 18, and the threshold value is defined, for example, as the geometric mean of the two level values thus stored.

[0042] As an alternative, it is also possible to provide for a predetermined level to be shifted on the basis of level measurements toward higher values, e.g., when there is severe noise, or toward lower values, e.g., when there are very low speech signal levels.

[0043] Another advantageous embodiment involves determination or shifting of threshold value 64 as a function of signals indicating the reception quality of the current radio transmission frequency, it being assumed that higher noise levels prevail in the case of poor reception than in the case of good reception. For example, the signals indicating the reception quality may include field strength signal 46, which may be picked up by IF amplifier 44, and an RDS error rate signal 38, which indicates the RDS error rate and is available at a second output 82 of RDS decoder 8. One or both of these signals may be used to raise the threshold value for the case of a low field strength and/or a high RDS error rate and thus high expected noise levels and thus AF levels which differ considerably from zero in modulation pauses.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of modulation pause detection unit, the latter includes a low-pass filter 14 which is situated in the signal path between AF level detector 12 and threshold value comparator 16 and is composed of a resistor 141, connected between the output of AF level detector 12 and common reference potential, and a parallel-connected capacitor 142. The low-pass filter prevents the modulation pause detection unit from responding to short-term fluctuations in level or to interference pulses 341 of AF signal 34, e.g., due to a noisy reception signal, so that modulation pause detection and/or speech pause recognition is still guaranteed with a high reliability even in the case of radio signals with a great deal of noise or only weak reception.

[0045] Output signal 60 of modulation pause detection unit 11 indicating a modulation pause is sent to a first input of a switch control 20 at whose second input M/S bit 36 is applied and which links output signal 60 of modulation pause detection unit 12 to M/S bit 36 to form a switch control signal 62 for driving controllable switch 22 in the AF signal path to interrupt the playback of a received radio broadcast program. This linkage is implemented in such a way that for the case when a speech signal is recognized, i.e., the M/S bit assumes the first given value of “0” and a modulation pause is recognized, switch control signal 62 opens controllable switch 22 to interrupt the current playback.

[0046] In a first simple embodiment, switch control signal 62 is further formed in such a way that it keeps switch 22 open for a specified period of time, such as 300 milliseconds, after the switch has been opened, this being based on the finding that a speech pause in a speech contribution lasts at least 300 milliseconds. The specified period of time is controlled, for example, by a timer whose sequence, namely a signal 60 indicating a modulation pause, is started. The timer may be started again only when its set time has previously elapsed completely. Finally, switch control signal 62 is formed in such a way that it closes switch 22 after the specified period of time has elapsed or it keeps it closed when a music signal is recognized and/or there is no modulation pause.

[0047] This embodiment is characterized in that even high noise levels in AF signal 34, due to poor reception of the radio transmission frequency currently being received, which might be recognized as modulation by modulation pause detection unit 11, do not have the effect of premature termination of the playback interruption.

[0048] In a second embodiment, switch control signal 62 is further formed in such a way that for the case when a music signal is recognized and/or there is no modulation pause and/or the end of a modulation pause is recognized by modulation pause detection unit 11 on the basis of the increase in the AF level above threshold value 64, controllable switch 22 is closed or remains closed, depending on the current state, for playback of the received radio signal.

[0049] The advantage of this embodiment lies in the flexible control of the playback interruption periods as a function of an actual speech pause duration, so that in a number of cases, periods of time longer than the minimum of 300 ms, for example, are available for alternative frequency tests or other operations requiring an interruption in playback, for example.

[0050] The embodiments of the formation of switch control signal 62 so far have concerned the formation of a switch control signal 62 for longer interruptions, i.e., the second type of interruptions mentioned above. In addition, switch control signal 62 may also be generated by the control unit for short interruptions, i.e., a first type of interruptions, regardless of the current value of M/S bit 36 and output signal 60 of modulation pause detection unit 11. As an alternative, switch control signal 62 may also be generated for short interruptions on the basis of the output of modulation pause detection unit 11 alone, namely preferably in such a way that switch control signal 62 generates a playback interruption for a second very short specified set time of a second timer of 8 milliseconds, for example, when modulation pause detection unit 11 indicates a modulation pause in a music signal. An enable circuit 201, controlled by an enable signal 66 of the device control unit described below, is provided at the output of the switch control. Enable circuit 201 is designed so that in the event of an enable signal, the output of switch control signal 62 to switch 22 is enabled, but it is suppressed when there is no enable signal 66. With a corresponding generation of enable signal 66 by the control unit, the enable circuit causes an interruption in playback of a currently received radio signal to take place only when tests that require muting are initiated by the control unit.

[0051] Enable circuit 201 in combination with an appropriately generated enable signal 66 is also used according to a preferred embodiment for premature termination of a playback interruption in the case when an activity to be performed during a playback interruption, e.g., the PI check of stored alternative frequencies, is concluded before the end of the modulation pause or before the set time of the first timer has elapsed. Likewise, a playback interruption of the second type, i.e., a brief playback interruption, may also be terminated prematurely if the activity to be performed during the playback interruption requires a shorter period of time than the set time of the second timer. Therefore, this advantageous embodiment limits the playback interruptions to the periods of time actually required for the activities to be performed during the playback interruptions.

[0052] Finally, the radio receiver includes a device control unit 26 for controlling the functions of the radio receiver. Reception frequency control signal 43 may be picked up at an output of the device control unit and is used to determine the divider ratio of the divider of the PLL for tuning the radio receiver to a certain radio transmission frequency.

[0053] Reception frequency control signal 43 may be generated

[0054] by a user input at an input unit (not shown), e.g., by specifying a specific radio transmission frequency or by selection of a certain radio program, whose frequency data is stored in a memory 28 connected to device control unit 26,

[0055] by device control unit 26 automatically in the case of deteriorating reception of a radio transmission frequency currently being received for tuning to an alternative frequency, which is received better, on the basis of alternative frequency data stored in the frequency memory,

[0056] by device control unit 26 for short-term temporary switching to an alternative radio transmission frequency as an alternative to the radio transmission frequency currently being received on the basis of alternative frequency data stored in the frequency memory,

[0057] by the device control unit for continuously varying the current reception frequency to control a transmitter search run over the radio broadcast frequency band, e.g., between 87.5 MHz and 108.0 MHz in Europe.

[0058] Device control unit 26 also generates enable signal 66, which controls enable circuit 201 of switch control 20 in those cases in which a switch to an alternative frequency for testing purposes or a transmitter search run through the radio transmission frequency band is prompted by control unit 26, and which according to the preferred embodiment is limited in time to the actual duration of an activity to be performed during the playback interruption.

[0059] Device control unit 26 also receives switch control signal 62, so that device control unit 26 is able to synchronize the initiation of PI tests, for example, of alternative frequencies or other activities with the occurrence of speech pauses in the received radio signal.

[0060] In addition, signal 36 indicating the state of the M/S bit transmitted over the radio transmission frequency currently being received is also sent to device control unit 26. On the basis of M/S bit signal 36, device control unit 26 determines the type of tests that may be performed, depending on the type of playback interruptions that are possible according to the value of the M/S bit, i.e., the presence of a music or speech contribution.

[0061] The method according to the present invention and the functioning of the radio receiver described here are explained below in greater detail on the basis of the chronological sequence as diagramed in FIG. 3.

[0062] For example, the radio receiver is turned on at a time 701 and tuned to a certain radio transmission frequency, hereinafter referred to as the current frequency. A piece of music is transmitted over the received radio transmission frequency, so that M/S bit 36 contained in the RDS signal, which is also transmitted over the radio transmission frequency, has the second value “1” which indicates a music broadcast. In the case of modulation pauses recognized in the current program signal, it is not known for sure that these are actually modulation pauses or whether they are low-level signal sections. Therefore, a lengthy interruption in playback is suppressed. On the other hand, however, brief interruptions in the range of less than 8 ms, for example, are allowed. Thus, at times 702, 704 and 706, modulation pauses are detected in the received radio signal. The control program provides for testing of the alternative transmission frequencies stored in memory 28 (e.g., three alternative transmission frequencies) at this point in time; thus switch control signal 62 is enabled by enable signal 66, so that switch 22 is opened at times 702, 704 and 706, and playback of the radio signal is interrupted. On the basis of switch control signal 62, control unit 26 initiates at any of times 702, 704, 706 tuning of the receiver to one of the alternative radio transmission frequencies as an alternative to the current transmission frequency, these alternatives being stored in memory 28 through corresponding control of the divider ratio by way of reception frequency control signal 43 according to the alternative frequency data stored in memory 28 and taken, for example, from the received lists of alternative frequencies, whereupon their reception quality or reception field strength is evaluated on the basis of field strength signal 46. Switching back to the current transmission frequency takes place accordingly after expiration of the set time of the second timer, i.e., after approx. 8 ms at times 703, 705, 707. In the case of an enable signal, which is limited in time according to the preferred embodiment, the interruption duration is limited to the period of time actually required for the AF test, which may be shorter than the set time of the second timer, namely approx. 8 ms in the present case. The alternative frequencies are then stored in memory 28, ranked in order of their reception field strength.

[0063] The music playback ends at time 708, so that the modulation pause recognition unit again recognizes a modulation pause. However, the tests requiring a brief interruption, which is also possible during music contributions, are concluded first, so that enable circuit 201 is blocked by control unit 26 at the output of the switch control circuit.

[0064] At time 710, the M/S bit is switched to the value “0” at the transmission end, i.e., transmission of a speech contribution on the current transmission frequency is indicated. On the basis of the current value of the M/S bit, tests requiring a longer interruption of the playback are prepared in control unit 26; this is allowed only during speech pauses. In the present case, this is the test of the PI codes of the alternative frequencies stored in memory 28, sorted by the reception field strength. Therefore, enable signal 66 is generated for the switch control signal. At time 711, a modulation pause in the speech signal, i.e., a speech pause is detected, so that switch control signal 62, which is enabled by device control unit 26 for the tests, switches the playback to mute in the sense of a prolonged interruption. Receiving part 4 is tuned to the first alternative frequency to be tested, the RDS decoder is synchronized and the PI code contained in the RDS data stream is analyzed. In addition, generation of signal 38, which indicates the RDS error rate of the alternative frequency, is activated. After analysis of the first alternative frequency, receiving part 4 is similarly tuned at time 712 to the alternative frequency to be tested next, and finally, at time 713 it is tuned to the third alternative frequency stored in memory 28. At time 714 the end of a speech pause is ascertained on the basis of the increase in AF level 34 above the threshold value of threshold value comparator 16, so the test of the third alternative frequency is terminated, and the playback interruption is terminated by corresponding switch control signal 62. Since the alternative frequency tests are not yet concluded at this point in time, the enable signal for enable circuit 201 is maintained at the output of switch control 20.

[0065] At time 715 a renewed decline in AF level 34 and the specified threshold value is detected by modulation pause detection unit 11. Since M/S signal bit 36 also indicates the transmission of a speech signal, signal 62 is generated for opening switch 22, and since enable signal 66 is also generated, it is applied at its control input for opening switch 22, whereupon renewed playback of the AF signal is interrupted. On the basis of switch control signal 62, at the beginning of the interruption in playback, control unit 26 generates a signal corresponding to the frequency value of the third alternative frequency stored in memory 28 to control the divider ratio of the divider of the PLL, so that the receiving part is tuned to this alternative frequency. After analysis of the third alternative frequency or the RDS information transmitted over it, in particular its PI code, at time 716 control unit 26 again generates a divider ratio corresponding to the value of the current transmission frequency and thus tuning to the previous current transmission frequency. At this time the required alternative frequency tests are concluded, namely the PI codes of the three stored alternative frequencies have been analyzed, so enable circuit 201 is blocked by a corresponding blocking signal 66. Thus the current playback interruption is ended, although a speech pause is still being detected on the basis of an AF level which is below the specified threshold value and a speech signal is recognized on the basis of the value “0” of the M/S bit. In addition, other recognized modulation pauses, in particular speech pauses, do not cause any playback interruptions.

[0066] The alternative frequencies stored in the memory are reserved as alternative frequencies to the current transmission frequency because of their PI code or, as in the case of the third alternative frequency, for example, they are discarded because the PI code detected during the playback interruption and during the AF test performed in the meantime deviates from the current transmission frequency.

[0067] For example, if it is found at a time 717 that too few or no alternative frequencies have been stored in memory 28 or those that have been stored are not worthy of reception because of inadequate reception quality, then control unit 26 initiates a transmitter search run through the radio transmission frequency band to search for frequencies broadcasting the same program, i.e., the same PI code, as the transmission frequency currently being received. Because of the trial tuning to a plurality of receivable frequencies under some circumstances in the radio frequency band searched, a transmitter search run including PI testing takes a relatively long time and may therefore only be distributed among a plurality of longer interruptions in playback, i.e., speech pauses.

[0068] After switch control signal 62 has been enabled by control unit 26, a speech pause is recognized, e.g., at time 716. Playback is switched to mute by the switch control signal and the transmitter search run is initiated. To do so, the device control unit controls successive incrementally altered divider ratios according to a successive increase in reception frequency of receiving part 4. Meanwhile, the radio receiver is successively tuned to all transmission frequencies which are within the reception frequency band and are receivable at the site of the receiver; their PI code is analyzed and stored in memory 28 as an alternative frequency in the event the PI code is the same as that of the current transmission frequency.

[0069] According to a preferred embodiment, in the case of a PI code which does not correspond to the current radio frequency, the tested alternative frequency is stored under a different PI code which is possibly stored or, if no such code is stored, the alternative frequency is stored in the memory under its PI. In this way, an image of the transmitter landscape found at the receiver site is stored in frequency memory 28 as part of the transmitter search run.

[0070] At a point in time 718, e.g., after 500 ms, modulation pause detection unit 11 detects the end of the modulation pause so that the current stage of the transmitter search run is terminated by control circuit 26 on the basis of the absence of switch control signal 62 and playback is continued. The alternative frequencies obtained by then as a result of the transmitter search run are stored in memory 28, preferably sorted according to their reception quality, and in the preferred embodiment they are sorted according to their PI code as a higher-level sorting criterion.

[0071] If sufficient receivable alternative frequencies are available, then at first no other activities of the control unit are provided, so that no enable signal 66 is generated. Additional interruptions in playback are thus suppressed even in the case of detected modulation or speech pauses.

[0072] For the case when, in the course of the terminated search run stage, the number of alternative frequencies determined is inadequate, the search run may be continued at point in time 719 of a subsequent speech pause using the transmission frequency set last as part of the search run.

[0073] Furthermore, in the case of longer music broadcasts, i.e., sections in which the M/S bit continuously indicates playback of a music signal, longer playback interruptions are allowed if necessary to guarantee satisfactory functioning of the radio receiver according to the present invention. To do so, the goals to be achieved of both uninterrupted radio playback and satisfactory functioning of the radio receiver are prioritized appropriately. Although it is desirable to play back the received radio signal without interruption as much as possible, it is also necessary to ensure that switching to alternative frequencies, for example, occurs only to alternative frequencies that have a minimum reception quality to guarantee undisturbed playback as much as possible, which requires regular maintenance of AF memory 28, however.

[0074] It should be pointed out explicitly that although the embodiment of the present invention described above concerns only one possible implementation, the present invention is not limited to this approach. Instead, alternative embodiments are also feasible for implementation of the idea on which the present invention is based, although they will not be discussed further here. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of masking interruptions in the playback of received radio signals, wherein lengthy interruptions are allowed only when modulation of the radio broadcast program currently being received is recognized as speech, and a modulation pause in the received radio signal is detected.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein an identifier characterizing speech contributions is analyzed for recognition of speech.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the identifier is the music/speech identifier (M/S) transmitted via the Radio Data System (RDS).
 4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a modulation pause is detected on the basis of the modulation level dropping below a specified threshold value.
 5. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an interruption of the playback of a received radio signal is canceled on detection of the end of a modulation pause.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the end of a modulation pause is detected on the basis of an increase in modulation level above a specified threshold value.
 7. The method according to one of claims 4 or 6, wherein the threshold value is fixed.
 8. The method according to one of claims 4 or 6, wherein the threshold value is formed as a function of a current reception quality of the received radio signal.
 9. The method according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein an interruption of the playback of a received radio signal is canceled after a specified period of time.
 10. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an interruption of the playback of a received radio signal is terminated prematurely if the activities to be performed during the interruption have been concluded. 